desperate times
by Orange Pens and Messy Hands
Summary: In which Percy suffers through a Tartarus episode, and the whole camp suffers from it. Luckily Annabeth is there to comfort him. Post-tartarus. One-shot. Percabeth fluff-filled and whatnot.


**I'm back! With another fic. I've had this idea where Percy suffers from an episode, and Annabeth calms him down, so here we are! I have no clue if I've told you this already but I'm working on a soulmate AU, I really hope you all check it out (if it ever gets finished lol). Thanks so much to WildYoungAndFree for betaing for it. (Check her out!) Anyway how you all been, it's been a while, right? Tell me about your day, tell me about your week, I love talking with you! I made this in like an hour and a half, so hopefully it's alright. Let me know what you think of it? This has not been proofread lol (I'm lazy, like always) so all mistakes are mine. As always, I hope you all enjoy.**

 **Words w/out AN: 1651**

 **Pairing(s): Percabeth**

 **I am not Rick, so I own nothing.**

desperate times

* * *

The hurricane came out of nowhere, really.

The day had been normal enough. Percy and Annabeth had been relaxing in his cabin, enjoying their day of rest from the usual chores and responsibilities. They were waiting out the hot summer afternoon at camp, in the cool shade of the Poseidon cabin. At the moment, Percy was enveloped in the covers of his bed, Annabeth tucked into his side, her head lying on his chest.

Percy watched Annabeth's rise and fall with every breath he took. Each inhale lifting her head, each exhale lowering it again. He figured she could probably hear his calm heartbeat.

Percy threaded his hand through Annabeth's smooth hair. "Mmm, this is nice. Can we stay here forever?"

Annabeth let out a breathy chuckle, her actions making his chest vibrate. She raised her head from his chest, leaning up closer to his face. "That would be nice, if we could stay here forever." Percy felt a but coming, "Unfortunately, we have responsibilities that we have to do."

Percy groaned, the last thing he wanted to do was teach a class or something.

"But," She said, suddenly making Percy hopeful. "We can stay here for a _bit_."

Percy looked at her, "How long is a _bit_?"

She laughed again, the sound filling his ears with happiness. She leaned up further, this time planting a kiss on Percy's lips. He smiled and enthusiastically kissed her back, moving to her cheek, then her neck, then back to her lips again.

She swapped her position so she was straddling him, and continued kissing him. Percy can't remember what happened next, most likely because his brain promptly turned to mush after that, but somehow they were both tired and snuggling on his bed. He didn't know how much time had passed, but Percy soon drifted asleep, accompanied by the soft snoring of Annabeth.

* * *

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

* * *

Percy woke up some time later, the familiar presence in his arms gone. He glanced down, and where the sleeping figure of his girlfriend would be, was nothing. He thought, _where was Annabeth?_ He bolted up and looked around the room.

It was empty.

Percy tried to steady his breathing. He figured she was just in the washroom, right? He got up and casually strolled to his bathroom in the back of the cabin. He knocked on the door but no response came. Percy felt his heartbeat start to rise. He needed to calm down. She was probably just out, right? She was probably somewhere around Camp. He didn't have to be worried, Camp is a safe place.

He could already feel his hands start to get clammy, he needed some air. He opened his door and meandered to the beach, the water, his home away from home. The sea always calmed him down, so he made his way towards it. The bright glare from the sun was unexpected. He wasn't sure what time it was, but the sun was still vibrantly shining. Percy raised a hand to his face to shade himself from the sun. There wasn't a cloud in the sky that would have covered the sun up. There actually wasn't a single cloud to be seen _anywhere_. One of the perks of magical weather borders, Percy figured.

When Percy got to the beach he was surprised to see it was so empty. Usually there were campers canoeing or people on the beach or in the water. Percy couldn't even see any water spirits.

This only reinforced the fact that Percy thought that everybody close to him has disappeared, although that was _illogical_. He had seen familiar faces on his walk to the beach, but it was still _weird_. Besides, the only one who's missing is Annabeth, and she wasn't gone. She was just busy, he reassured himself.

Percy walked into the sea until just his feet were submerged in the water and closed his eyes. He felt the tug in his gut. The raw strength of the sea was his to control. It was easier for him to move in the sea, the water guiding his ankles forward. He could feel the waves and the gallons and gallons of his father's element surging around him. The small waves lapped, hitting his ankles. He thought about Annabeth, how she was probably just fine, probably just doing something. He felt the doubt in his mind when he thought that. _What if something happened?_ She would've told him if she was leaving, right?

His hand twitched, he tried to calm his thoughts but it wasn't working. He felt the waves getting stronger, responding to his fear and worry, but he was too lost in thought to realise it.

He opened his eyes again, except this time he wasn't on the beach.

He was in _Tartarus_.

He was looking at Annabeth, although he could barely see her. It was so _dark_ in there, like sunlight had never touched the place. He tried calling out to her, he tried moving towards her but his feet were locked in place. He couldn't move. He tried reaching out for her, but she was too far away. Suddenly there were monsters. He didn't know their names, that was usually Annabeth's job.

They descended on her and surrounded her, slashing with their gruesome talons. Annabeth's leg was slashed and she went down. Percy screamed out, he cried and yelled at them, doing anything to take their attention off of her. To draw them towards him, but it was no use. His feet were still locked in place.

He couldn't do anything except watch as the monsters closed in on a kneeling Annabeth.

Percy turned his head away unable to bare watching anymore, waves of different emotions started drowning him. Anger, sadness, guilt, anguish.

He looked up again, and suddenly he was back.

He was back at Camp Half-blood.

He was breathing hard, mind still filled with thoughts of _Tartarus_. He blinked a couple times and was face to face with Annabeth. She was most definitely _alive_ , which Percy was the utmost thankful for.

She was moving her lips waving her arms at the cloudy sky around them, but Percy couldn't make out what she was saying. The wind whipped around them too loudly. He was being pelted by rain, his and Annabeth's hair whipped around their faces. The water level had risen up to his thighs and waves were crashing _hard_ against them and the beach. The once shining sun was nowhere to be seen.

Annabeth was still shouting over the winds, this time pointing out to the sea. Percy followed her arm and laid his eyes on a hurricane, a whirlpool of water and wind spinning on the sea. It was about 200 feet from the shore but its effects were still present.

Percy was confused, was the weather _attacking_ them? Was some sort of sea monster causing that? Percy looked around, but through his flopping hair and the waves, Percy couldn't see anything. Weren't the magical borders supposed to prevent something like this?

He felt a familiar tug in his gut and realized it was _him_ who was causing the hurricane. _He_ was causing the hurricane. _He_ was causing the winds and the waves. _He_ was causing this weather. The water was responding to his anguish and sadness, amplifying his emotions into a deadly hurricane.

Percy instantly felt guilty, he looked at Annabeth. He looked around and saw campers, his _friends_ cowering beneath trees, trying to protect themselves from the harsh elements. No one dared to get close to him.

He closed his eyes to concentrate. He raised his hands, trying his hardest to calm the storm. He let loose a gut wrenching scream. The winds started to die down. The water was slowly receding, back to their ankles. The hurricane slowed until it died completely, crashing down on itself. The winds had fully stopped now, and the thunderous clouds were slowly moving away. The pounding in his head started to recede, too.

When Percy finished he collapsed to his knees, sobbing. Annabeth immediately caught him and pulled him close. Murmuring into his ear and stroking the back of his head. He wrapped his arms around her and burrowed his head into her neck.

"It was terrible, Annabeth. I was back _there_. You were dying, being attacked by monsters. I was stuck, I couldn't do anything but watch." Percy whispered into her ear, afraid to talk any louder.

She tightened her grip on him. She understood him, she knew what it was like down _there_. She was the only person who could help him.

"An-and, you were gone when I woke up, and I thought something happened to you. I was so worried."

She lifted his head and locked her strong grey eyes with his vulnerable green ones. The way she held his gaze, conveying everything she had to with just her eyes. How much she cared for him, how much she _loved_ him. Percy never wanted to break his gaze with her, he ignored all of the staring campers along the edge of the beach. They started to slowly disperse.

"I love you." She said with so much passion, "I'm not going anywhere. You're never getting away from me again. You got it?"

Percy nodded and Annabeth let out a breathy laugh. She pulled Percy impossibly closer. She swiftly kissed him. He kissed her back and he knew things were going to be okay, because she _always_ made everything better. Even now, soaking wet and covered in sand, her hair all over the place like it had been through a hurricane, which it _had_ , she was still the most beautiful thing Percy had seen.

"I'm sorry I was gone when you woke up." She whispered once they stopped kissing.

"It's okay." He mumbled, because, in the end, he knew it _was_.


End file.
